Pasta with cockles
Pasta with cockles, chilli, garlic and tomato
Serves 4-6
I got this recipe for a quick stir-fry off the local newspaper, and I made it abroad when I was homesick for the bloody cockles in char kway teow. Serve it up with bright leaves of parsley and coriander for a pretty dinner dish.
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500g conchiglie (shell-shaped pasta)
3 bags of shelled cockles
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs salt
2 tbs chopped garlic
2-4 chopped chillies
Chopped parsley
4 tomatoes
Lemon juice (optional)
First
Empty out the bag of shelled cockles (about three cups worth) and wash well
in salted water. Bring some water to boil in a wok and steam the cockles for
just two minutes. Leave aside.
Second
For a nice effect, you can use the shell-shaped pasta called conchiglie in
this dish. You would need 500g of the pasta which you cook till al dente in
a pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Drain.
Third
In another pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and saute the chopped garlic
till soft but not browned. Add the chopped chillies (vary the amount according
to how hot you like the sauce) and tomatoes, roughly chopped. Season with
salt and finally toss in the cockles. Allow to cook on high heat for three
minutes and remove from the fire and pour over the drained pasta.
Fourth
Garnish with chopped parsley and add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like.